JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Seth Brown can never doubt that he left everything out on the Oak Hills course.
The La Plata junior crossed the finish line first Saturday in the Class 1 state cross country race and promptly marched past all the waiting family and friends to find a relatively clear spot to empty his stomach.
Brown, who won in 16:51.09, took several long minutes to recover from his race. He had inked several inspirational messages across the toes and heels of his spikes, including “Run For Something” and “Don’t Stop Work Hard.” Along the instep were the names Kurt Brown and Zack Brown – two family members who had passed and provided Seth with the inspiration to give everything he had.
“When I was around 4 my dad (Kurt) was killed in a plane crash. That kind of gave me the motivation for my state track championships,” said Seth, who won the Class 1 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs last spring. “And over the summer my brother (Zack) was actually killed in a train accident. That gave me some motivation here and gave me a reason to run.”
Seth said both accidents are short on details of the why and how, and he admitted that not knowing was one of the hardest parts. But after suffering the second loss of a family member this summer, Seth resigned himself to remain more positive than ever before.
“Over the summer I didn’t know if it was something that would weigh me down or help me,” Seth said. “I tried my hardest just to stay positive and let it be something to help me. I changed my whole aspect of running in general. It wasn’t just running for me; it was running for whoever can’t run.
“I’ve prayed more in the past week than my entire life for this, so I knew they were watching down on me and pushing me along.”
Seth made his move to take over the race just past the mile mark when he surged ahead of the small lead pack. After that, he just kept his sights on the four wheeler leading him around the course, and while his finishing time was never going to be a factor, he still knew he had to give every ounce he had.
“That’s the best feeling ever. I’d rather be racing the four wheeler than anyone else,” Seth said. “I really wasn’t satisfied with my times all year. All that matters is the postseason. I think it just started to hit me how big this race was and how much I needed it. With the motivation of my dad and Zach, I just knew I had to turn it on here and it was going to hurt more than any other race, but that’s part of it. It proves I didn’t leave a whole lot left out there.”